by
Paul
BenhaimHemp is grown throughout the world: in China, Russia, Asia
(where it has never seen a break), nearly every European country,
North America re-introduced hemp as a crop in 1999 and
Australasia is soon to join the rest of the world in offering open
licenses for farmers to grow hemp as more than just an alternative
crop.
In Germany, where cultivation of hemp has only been
reintroduced since 1996, the first year of cultivation provided
approximately 1422 hectares. In 1998 this doubled to 3500
hectares. This year 2000 hectares expects to bring nearer 10,000
hectares. In Australia, the crop can only be used for viability test.
In 1999 100ha were grown, which increased to 350ha in 2000,
and they foresee a potential for 50,000ha within 3-4 years. Watch
out for Australia becoming one of the world’s leading hemp
growing nations – all that space and co-operative understanding;
they are ready to learn from the rest of the world’s mistakes.
‘To see a world in a grain of seed
And heaven in a hempflower
To hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour.’
Adapted from William Blake
Nothing
to
do
with
Smoking
it
Even in the 21st century, the most common question I am faced
with is ‘can it get you high?’. Hemp will not get you high; though it
might get you healthy. A breath of fresh air for those who realize
that the youngsters of today need a more clean and green images
for them to grow comfortably on this ever changing planet. If you
smoked a field of commercial hemp (not that you could tell what it
looks like nowadays) all you would get is a headache.
Throughout the world there are legal definitions of what
levels of the active psychotropic ingredient can be contained